World

ByCompiled from wire service reports by Robert Kilborn and Ross AtkinMarch 17, 2004

Another victim of last week's terrorist bombings in Madrid died, bringing the count to 201 as police identified five Muslim suspects from neighboring Morocco they believe may be linked to the attacks. All are at large. Meanwhile, Spain's new prime minister-elect rejected suggestions that his success at the polls Sunday also was a victory for terrorists, saying voters simply had shown "a desire for change."

In an about-face, senior Iranian officials said their government will allow UN inspections of the nation's nuclear facilities after all, "without conditions." No explanation was offered for the change in a decision announced last weekend after the International Atomic Energy Agency officially "deplored" the level of cooperation by Iran in disclosing the entire scope of its nuclear program.

Opponents of leftist President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela celebrated a ruling by the Supreme Court that signatures on petitions seeking a recall vote are valid unless the signers disavow them. The justices ordered the elections council to reverse its decision that almost 1 million of the 3.4 million signatures would be rejected unless the signers came forward to identify them. That almost certainly would have quashed the recall effort. Chávez claims the petition drive was a fraud, and his allies were organizing a protest outside the court to demand that its ruling be reconsidered.

The interim prime minister of Haiti broke off diplomatic relations with Jamaica in protest at the latter's welcome for ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Gerard Latortue had warned that Aristide's return to the region would be viewed as an unfriendly act. Aristide arrived in Jamaica Monday for a stay of "up to 10 weeks" as he decides how and where he wants to spend his future years.

The 23rd human death blamed on bird flu in Asia was reported by Thai health authorities, but their counterparts in China declared the spread of the virus there had been halted at 49 cases. The Beijing government, however, warned against relaxing vigilance with the onset of spring weather and the resulting migration of waterfowl that could be infected. Since December, about 100 million chickens have been slaughtered in Asian nations as a precaution.